In Japanese there are some restrictions on the use of deixis in quotations. Previous research on quotations has mainly been made from a syntactic point of view, but explicit explanation of their use has yet to be made. This study examines the restrictions in the framework of speech act theory. The following are the main findings of the study:
ldquo;1) There are two kinds of speech acts: >Prime;speech acts with continuous effects (SAC)>Prime; and >Prime;speech acts with temporary effects (SAT).>Prime; These are classified according to >Prime;the duration of validity of speech acts.>Prime; A promise is a typical SAC, being valid both at the time when it is uttered and afterward. A greeting, on the other hand, is a typical SAT, being valid only at the time when it is uttered.
ldquo;2) The above distinction is demonstrated in this study by means of a focus on syntax. In Japanese there are syntactic restrictions on the adjustment of deixis in quotations according to whether the speech quoted is classified as a SAC or SAT. SACs appear to permit deictic adjustment whereas SATs do not. This analysis leads to a very pragmatic explanation of the data, since extra-linguistic factors appear to exert influence on sentence forms.